[quote]Kansky wrote:
the conjugate method as stated above was crafted on Eastern Bloc athletes training methods, probably most notably Vasily Alexyev(sp?). While training in this style you would be doing the oly lifts, but only doing them on DE day, on ME day you are doing strength building exercises like defficit deadlifts, snatch grip DL’s and front squats.
Doing the actual lifts on DE day will teach form, and on DE day resistance is added just like in powerlifting, either reverse bands or even, a personal favorite, the way Alexyev used to do it, lifting the weights from under waist height water, either way just finding a way to increase the speed of the lift.
It is definately one way to go, but, as I believe Hanley is trying to say, linear periodisation is a good way to train as well, especially in the beginning, “Everything works, nothing works forever.” Louie Simmons[/quote]
This is the closest thing to an answer in this thread. But I don’t know if it’s right or if it’s just what Kansky thinks is the logical way to set things up. Kansky, do you have a source? I’d like to read more. But if you don’t…
Does ANYONE know what the Dynamo Barbell Club was doing back in the USSR? I can’t find it anywhere. How do Weightlifters use the “conjugate method?” Every program I’ve ever seen is linear periodization.
From what I understand, it was the Eastern Bloc Track & Field athletes who brought the conjugate method, board presses, and box squats over to the Original Westside Barbell in Culver City California. The Dave Draper Website has an article or two on this. I don’t think they were doing speed squats over at the original Westside Barbell Just yet - I believethat was Lou’s contribution. The article I read indicated that they were still doing Power Cleans for developing explosive power.
If you read over at James Smith’s Power Development Inc. Website (he’s the Thinker on EliteFTS Q&A) apparently the conjugate method was used in ALL sports for the USSR. Swimming, Track & Field, Weightlifitng, whatever.
From what I can piece together from the 1 Russian Text I’ve read, which doesn’t say much about the conjugate method other than that it’s “really good” is that…
(1) The Max Effort Work would be maxing out in a lift very similar to a competition lift. You might max out in a snatch off blocks, or a behind the neck jerk, or a power clean, or even a squat. Unlike Westside where you can literally come up with oodles of different Max Effort lifts, I think the russians concentrated on the Power Clean, Power Snatch, and Squat. I forget where I read it, but I think they only used about 6 different Max Effort Exercises.
(2) Squats, Bench Presses, Incline Presses, and Overhead Presses were done as assistance work.
(3) Workouts were not split into upper body or lower body since the max effort lifts and the competition lifts are all full body lifts.
(4) Dynamic Work (What they call speed strength) was either Jump/Depth Jump/what we would call plyometric training or it was Competition Lifts done between 85-95% of one’s max.
Of course, this could all be wrong. But I’d love to know the right answer. What were these guys doing?